Telephone-key.



P. 0. ROBINSON.

TELEPHONE KEY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1915.

1 9 1 96,398.. Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

,9 2 5 24 I 14g 1. g, I 25 27 I W 6 J 49 PM L9. R mw mwr M 3 PORTER 0. ROBINSON, OF CONCORD JUNCTION, MASSACHUSETTS.

TELEPHONE-KEY.

menses.

Application filed April 3, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PORTER O. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Concord Junction, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Keys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention has reference to improvements in telephone keys or devices for efi'ecting the operation of electric-circuit closing devices and particularly to such devices adapted for use in combination with party lines.

One object of this invention is to provide a telephone key adapted to be actuated by a single impulse to effect any one of a series of circuit closing operations whereby prearranged groups of signals may be transmitted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone key adapted, through a movement in one direction to eficct a series of operations of one circuit closer and, through movement in another direction, to efiect the single operation of another circuit closer.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a key for an electric telephone circuit having a local ringing or bell circuit and circuit closers adapted to be operated to connect said local circuit with the main circuit, and a local listening circuit having terminals adapted to be operated to connect said latter local circuit with the main circuit that said key may be operated in one direction automatically to effect a succession of circuit closing operations of the circuit closers for the ringing localcircuit and, as a result of such movement, may be positioned to be manually operated to effect the closing movement of the circuit closers for the listening local circuit.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description.

The invention consists in the relative position of the circuit closers and in the means for operating the same whereby the circuit closers of the listening local circuit can be operated without accidentally operating the circuit closers of the ringing circuit.

The invention also consists in the construc tion of the telephone key.

The invention also consists in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as shall hereinafter be more Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 29, 1916..

Serial No. laces.

fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1, represents a vertical sectional view of the improved telephone key as taken on line 1-1 Fig. 2. Fig. 2, represents a similar view taken on line 22 Fig. 1. Fig. 3, represents a sectional view on line 3-3 Fig. 1. Fig. 1, represents a sectional plan view of parts of the device taken on line 4.4 Fig. 1. Fig. 5, represents a side elevation of the device to show a modified con struction of the means for operating the key to effect the closing of the terminals of the listening circuit.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

As shown in the drawings, 5 represents a flat member of any suitable size and having an opening or slot 6 and the under plate 7 having the opening 8 and furnished with the depending members 9 and 10 of electric insulating material connected by the cross plate 11 having'the opening 12 and the bearings 13, 13 carrying the roll 14.

a, (4 represent the terminals of a well known type of electric telephone circuit having the terminals 1), Z) which constitute parts of the electric hell or signal circuit.

0, 0 represent spring circuit closers having the bent members (Z, (l and located between the terminals a, a and Z), Z) whereby under ordinary conditions said closers 0, 0 close the circuit with the terminals a, a but, when said terminals 0, c are spread, may contact with the terminals 7), Z) to connect the arms of the electric signal circuit with the main circuit. These terminals a, a and Z), 7) with their related circuit closers c, c are mounted in the electric insulator 9 at one side of and preferably below the roll 14.

Mounted in the electric insulator 10 are the usual electric terminals 6, c and 7, f and the spring circuit closers g, 9 having the bent members It, 72,. These terminals 6, c are portions of the usual main electric circuit and the terminals 7, f are the terminals of the usual electric circuit which inclndes the operators receiving telephone whereby the spreading of the circuit closers g, 9 will connect said receiver with the main electriecircuit to permit the operator to listen. It is to be noticed that the terminals 0, c, 7, f, and the circuit closers g, g extend to points located above and at one side of the terminals a, a, b, b and circuit closers 0, 0 so that a wedge or jack member may be swung above the circuit closers c, 0 to enter between the bent members it, h of the circuit closers g, g.

The electric terminals, their circuit closers and the electric circuits and instruments included in said circuits above referred to in themselves are well known in the art and hence are not more fully shown and describech On the member 5 is mounted the plate 15 having the opening 16 from which extends slot 17, and pivotally mounted on this plate 15 by means of the spring hinge 18 is the hollow post 19 having the finger piece 20, the vertical slot 21 and the stop 22 which latter is adapted to limit the swinging of the post 19 in one direction by contacting with the plate 15. Within the hollow post '19 is slidably mounted the barrel 23 having the finger pieces 21, 25, 26 and 27, more or less depending somewhat on the number of telephones in the main electric circuit. These finger pieces 2-1 to 27 preferably differ in length or shape and said'finger pieces are adapted, under suitable conditions, to be received by the slot 17 of plate 15 when the barrel 23 is suitably moved. Barrel 23 has the axially perforated head 28 through which extends the piston rod 29 having at its lower end the perforated piston head 30 and pivoted at its upper end to the ear or member 19 of'the post 19. Barrel 23 may contain air, oil or other fluid adapted to pass through the perforations in the head 30 and the expansion spring 31 is provided between the heads 28 and 30 which spring tends con- 1 stantly to move upward the head 28 and the barrel 23 attached to said head.

Extending from the barrel 23 is the stem 32 having thereon the member 33 of hard rubber or some other electric insulation and furnished with the spaced enlargements 34;, 35, 26 and 37 in the nature of wedges alternating with contractions, adapted when brought between the outer ends of the circuit closers c, 0 to cooperate with the bent members d,d thereof to spread said circuit closers into electric contact with the terminals I), b. In the downward movement of barrel 23 and its stem 32 the enlargements traveling in succession over roll 14 will be thus forced between the circuit closers 0, 0

while the contracted portions of member 33 will permit the circuit closers to retract from the terminals 0}, cl. When the post 19 is swung on its hinge 18 the enlargement or wedge 37 is adapted to be entered and re tained between the contracted members it, h of the circuit closers g, 9 whereby the contact of said closers g, g with the terminals 7, f of the local or listening circuit is effected.

In Fig. I have shown a modified form of the means for tilting or swinging the post 19' which consists in providing the lower edge portion of said hinged post 19 with the finger meeting the surface of plate 15. such movement the wedges or enlargements shaft 40 having the pinion 1-1 and providing the toothed quadrant 12 having the lever 13 mounted to swing in the bracket 41 of the plate 15, the quadrant 42 engages the pinion 44; so that the backward swinging of lever 43 efiects, as an ultimate result, the forcing of the enlargement or wedge 37 between the circuit closers g, g the motion by the operator to operate lever 13 and to attain such result being similar in direction to that used by the operator with the telephone key at present in use, which is desirable.

In the position shown in 11 ig. 1 the post 19 may be swung in a direction to bring the wedge or enlargement 37 between the members h, h of the circuit closers g, y to spread said closers g, 9 into contact with the terminals e, c and said wedge or enlargement 37 may engage with and be retained by said members 9, g. It is to be noticed that in the position shown in Fig. 1, the listening position, the circuit closer actuator, stem 32 'with its wed 'es 31 36 and 37, cannot be operated to spread the circuit closers c, (J, and that it 1s necessary that the stem 32 and its wed e or enlar ement 37 be returned to such listening position before said wedge 37 can be brought between said circuit closers is placed on finger piece 26 and the finger ispressed down the barrel 23 and its attached parts will move downward, the finger pieces 27 and 26 will pass through the slot 17 of the plate 15 and the downward movement of the piece 26 will be limited by the In 37 and 36 will travel against the roll 14 and thereby will be guided laterally in succes sion between the members (Z, a, of the circuit closers c, 0 thus effecting the contact of these closers with the terminals 7), I) while the contraction between the wedges 37 and 36 will permit the retraction of said circuit closers 0, 0, and as a result of said operation the signal or bell in electric connection with the terminals 7), b will be connected with the main circuit twice. When pressure on the finger piece (26) is relieved, the spring 31.

is free to act to move upward the barrel 23 and the speed of such movement is controlled somewhat by the necessity for the fluid contained in said barrel 23 to pass through the perforations of the piston head 30, in such upward movement of the barrel 23 the wedges 26 and 27, in succession, enter between the members (1, d of the circuit closers 0, 0 and the signal is repeated.

It is of course obvious that if the opera- -tors finger is placed on finger piece 24: and

pressed downward until the finger is arrested by plate 15 all of the wedges 34, 35, 36 and 37 will, in succession, be forced between the members d, d and the circuit closers 0, 0 will be operated to effect as many contacts with the terminals 6, I) as the number of such wedges and, also, that such contacts will be repeated on the upward movement of said barrel.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A telephone key comprising two pair of circuit closers, and an actuator therefor mounted to slide and swing relative to said closers whereby said actuator may be swung into operative relation with one pair of said closers and may slide into contact with the other pair of said closers.

2. A telephone key comprising two pair of circuit closers, an actuator therefor mounted to slide and swing relative tosaid closers whereby said actuator may be swung into operative relation with one pair of said closers and may slide into contact with the other pair of said closers, and a guide for said actuator located below one pair of said closers.

The combination with two circuit clos- Vers for different circuits, a post pivotally ers located in different horizontal planes, of a circuit closer member mounted to swing and slide and having a series of circuit closer actuators, and means cooperating with said member to prevent the swinging thereof after a predetermined lengthwise movement.

5. The combination with a circuit closer, and a guide spaced therefrom, of a stop plate having a slot, a member slidable with respect to said plate and having a series of finger pieces adapted to be received by said slot and a series of circuit closer actuators, and spring means for returning said member to normal position.

6. The combination with circuit closers for a pair of circuits, of a plate having an openmg and a slot extending from said opening, a hollow slotted post hingedly a rod slidable in the perforation of said head and having its outer end pivotally connected with said post, a perforated piston head on the inner end of said rod, and a spring hearing against said barrel head and against said piston head.

PORTER O. ROBINSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

